MEDIA INVITE: Global Day of Action for an International Arms Trade Treaty

Posted on September 11, 2008 0 Comments94

Saturday, 13 September 2008, from 9 am till 1 pm
Conference Hall No. 2, India International Centre, 40 Max Muller Marg, Near Lodhi Gardens, New Delhi

Indian Civil Society, Parliamentarians and Gun Survivors urge for an
International Arms Trade Treaty
to stop the inflow of illegal small arms and light weapons

“A firing incident in robbed me of my teens and my future. A bullet pierced through my spinal cord and I became paraplegia. My dreams of becoming a sportsman and doctor were shattered.”

– Philem Johnson Singh, 27 years, Gun Survivor

India is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world with around 40 million firearms circulating. Most of the legally registered arms are in civilian possession; but uncounted illegal weapons are in the hands of criminals or insurgents. The consequences are lethal, because every day, 12 people die from armed violence all over India.

One reason for the easy availability of weapons is the lack of regulation of the international arms trade. This is fueling the ongoing conflicts in different parts of India and ultimately puts the security of Indian citizens at risk. Moreover, in regions like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kashmir or Manipur gun violence already is a severe danger to people’s security. Violence kills and injures innocent people. It obstructs all-day life and shatters the dreams of young Indians.

In late 2006, the United Nations General Assembly embarked on a process to help ending this violence caused by illegal arms. Several member states started to draft an International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a legally binding instrument to regulate international transfers of conventional weapons. ATT aims at preventing the transfers of weapons into the wrong hands.

In India, Civil Society organisations such as Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI), as well as honorable Members of Parliament and Gun Survivors are urging the Government of India to curb armed violence in the country and to support the Arms Trade Treaty. India needs to lead on the proposed International Arms Trade Treaty as this globally binding regulation can help to stop the inflow of illegal small arms and light weapons into our country.

All over India, more than 30, 000 citizens have given their support to the Treaty by signing on to a petition submitted to the United Nations. Several prominent Indians such as Professor Amartya Sen, Admiral Ramdas, Rabbi Shergill, Nandita Das and several others have supported the initiative. Moreover, several honorable members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have given their support to efforts to strengthen international regulations for the trade and transfer of conventional weapons by signing a petition put forward by Control Arms Foundation of India.

This Saturday, 13 September 2008, Control Arms Foundation of India commemorates the Global Day of Action for an Arms Trade Treaty.

On this occasion Indian civil society will present a memorandum to the Government of India, to again urge the political decision makers of the country to support an International Arms Trade Treaty. There will be also the testimonies of gun survivors and their family members, who will explain who dramatically armed violence has changed their lives. For photographers and camera people, a stunt is performed to show, how easily arms are available in our society.

You are wholeheartedly invited to cover the event and to part in the discussion. A detailed program schedule you find below.

The following persons will be available for interviews:
– Phillem Johnson Singh, Gun Survivor
– Dr. Anuradha Chenoy, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
– Ms Binalakshmi Nepram, Secretary General, Control Arms Foundation of India

For information or interview request please contact:
Ms Binalakshmi Nepram at +91 9891210264 or binalakshmi@gmail.com;
Ms Reena Mutum at +91 9971103691 or reenamutum@gmail.com


Program Schedule

09:00am
Registration

09:15am
Welcome address by Ms Gitika Laishram, Media & Communication Coordinator, CAFI

09:30 am
Keynote address by Dr Swaran Singh, Professor, Disarmament Studies, School of International Studies, Jawarharlal Nehru University & announcement of essay & poster  competition on

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